Chapter 38 Lychee
litchi
What Kangxi said caught her attention.
There were some commoners outside Changchun Garden, almost all of whom were bondservants. They would do some small business when the officials came to stay with Emperor Kangxi.
The streets are mostly lined with shops selling rice, noodles, and other dishes; the prices are cheap and the service is convenient.
Chen Guanxue naturally wanted to go and see it too, but Fushou was too small, so she didn't take him with her.
Both Kangxi and she changed into ordinary clothes.
Her clothes were all exceptionally exquisite. Kangxi's attire was not exactly understated either; his dark purple robe was embroidered with bamboo leaves in silver thread, and the cuffs and hem were shimmering.
The two of them left Changchun Garden by carriage, and got off the carriage when they reached those streets.
Chen Guanxue was also dressed in purple, with a light purple upper body embroidered with lotus flowers and a dark purple lower body embroidered with water patterns and swimming fish. She wore a purple lotus hairpin, which was exquisite, beautiful and noble.
The two men were strikingly handsome and dressed in fine clothes, and they were accompanied by eunuchs.
If a plaque falls from the capital, it could hit several princes.
The small merchants, who were used to doing business with officials and their relatives, were not surprised, but they were a little more polite when they met their gaze.
Chen Guanxue rarely saw streets like this, except for a few months ago in the capital, and now.
There are guards patrolling here. The streets are wide and not crowded. The doors and stalls on both sides are clean and tidy. They don't shout loudly to sell their wares. It's lively but not annoying.
Emperor Kangxi led her from one end of the street to the other, where they encountered many familiar officials.
Officials who encountered Emperor Kangxi outside were clearly bewildered and instinctively bowed. Had they not been so clear-headed, they probably would have already shouted "Long live the Emperor!"
The consequence of having too many acquaintances was that when Kangxi walked down a street, he was followed by many officials carrying things.
Chen Guanxue couldn't help but laugh, and Kangxi then led her into a restaurant.
The officials knew that the food at this restaurant was expensive, and that a single meal there could buy several days' worth of groceries, but they dared not let Kangxi go in alone.
Even though he was surrounded by many guards, both overt and covert, they dared not let their guard down.
Putting aside the things the barbarians did, today is also a perfect opportunity for them to show their skills.
The officials exchanged glances, gritted their teeth, and went inside.
Eating alone is a bit extravagant, but it's affordable when shared among a group of people.
Liang Jiugong inquired about the restaurant's menu and ordered dishes according to their preferences and habits.
He went back and poured hot tea for the two of them, mentioning that the officials had also come in.
"Have someone serve a good meal," Kangxi said.
Upon hearing this, Liang Jiugong went out.
Chen Guanxue held the hot tea, and before even taking a sip, she could smell the rich fragrance of jasmine. She swished the cup around, closed her eyes, and gently inhaled the aroma.
I felt it was worth it even before I had tasted the tea.
Drinking tea is more than just drinking tea; every step from brewing tea is something to be savored.
"The tea in the palace isn't this fragrant," Chen Guanxue said after taking a sip.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Kangxi took a sip and nodded, "The tea presented as tribute is all good tea, but it is still different from the best tea."
Upon hearing this, Chen Guanxue understood.
Most of the tribute items had a standard; as long as they met that standard, they were fine, and the best items were not required.
The best things are often not easy to obtain, and they are not plentiful.
The tribute was chosen to be of slightly lower quality. Even if it wasn't as good as the previous year, it was still above the standard, so as not to make a mistake and lose one's head.
These are all permissible, as long as the emperor isn't petty, everyone, from top to bottom, can live quite well.
Kangxi was naturally aware of these things. It was easy to get good tributes; he could simply issue a separate decree ordering people to send them separately, using holidays, festivals, or birthdays as good reasons.
"This is this year's new tea, with a naturally rich jasmine fragrance. I'll ask Liang Jiugong to buy some from the shop later."
She doesn't really like drinking tea; she just buys a little to try.
The meal was served, and the two of them enjoyed it.
After the meal, I went downstairs and saw that the group of officials were already waiting with their packed meals.
Helpless, Kangxi could only wave his hand to let Liang Jiugong dismiss them, and then led her back to Changchun Garden.
"Let's have a proper tour of the south next time. Too many people in the capital have seen my face. If I go out, a crowd will gather around me in no time."
Emperor Kangxi was used to this kind of scene.
Chen Guanxue nodded.
Then he thought of the Southern Tour.
She had never seen Yangzhou as it is today.
The purpose of the southern tours was usually to inspect water conservancy projects and prevent the collapse of dikes and dams in years with heavy rainfall, which could lead to crop failure and suffering for the people.
Corrupt officials are difficult to eradicate completely, so Emperor Kangxi could only tighten the reins on officials along the way by making southern tours.
Chen Guanxue had never experienced it; he was only interested in the Southern Tour.
She was curious, so Kangxi told her about the scenery he saw along the way during his southern tour.
Besides the scenes she knows, there will also be many other little stories.
There are many folk tales, and there are differences between the north and the south, so you can hear many interesting little stories.
The days passed by as the sun rose in the east and set in the west, and even with the many lakes and trees in Changchun Garden, one could still feel a bit of warmth.
From initially using fans to cool off, they have now added ice basins to their displays.
"Why are you sitting so close?" When Kangxi entered the room, his forehead was covered in fine sweat. After wiping himself off and changing his clothes, he saw her sitting next to the ice basin.
Chen Guanxue used a long-handled spoon to stir the brightly colored fruits in the ice basin, and they slowly rotated.
"Didn't a boatload of baskets of lychees and longans arrive this morning? Dozens of baskets were sent to the palace, and Sister Tong sent two baskets over. Thinking that they would taste better chilled, she put them in there."
Seeing that she was still sitting so close, Kangxi picked her up and moved her away.
"Now that the waterways are open, these fruits arrive quickly, in less than ten days, and have been well preserved and are still fresh." Emperor Kangxi generally did not send fruits as tribute, not because he did not like to eat them, but because they were a bit expensive.
However, this year's rainfall was just right, so the fruit harvest was plentiful in the south but scarce in the north. The governors of Guangdong and Guangxi and wealthy merchants planned to transport the fruit to the north to sell, so they sent some to him as well.
Lychees are a type of fruit that doesn't keep well, so they were delivered to the officials and wealthy merchants who had pre-ordered them the very first day after they were harvested.
Emperor Kangxi also received the gifts from the princes and dukes, and then distributed them.
"With convenient waterways, the sale of lychees will bring in a lot of tax revenue for Guangdong and Guangxi this year."
Chen Guanxue didn't want to hear him say that, so she asked Runxi to pick up the lychees, and Kangxi peeled one for her.
Fresh lychees should be translucent and have a glossy, jade-like sheen.
However, the lychees in his hand had turned slightly white after several days of transportation.
Chen Guanxue took a bite, and the sweet juice filled her mouth; it was still delicious.
Seeing that she liked it, Kangxi took the lychee pit she spat out and peeled another one for her.
As Chen Guanxue ate, she also peeled one for him.
The two of them peeled lychees for each other, and ate the whole plate of lychees clean.
"It's delicious, but it'll make you feel hot if you eat too much." Chen Guanxue wiped her mouth. "There are two baskets, right? Give one to the servants in the house, and have the kitchen make some desserts with the rest."
After dividing the lychees, Chen Guanxue began to discuss her birthday with Emperor Kangxi.
That's right, her birthday is finally coming up.
The date is July 20th, and we will hold it even though the weather is hot.
According to Consort Tong, this was her first birthday in the palace, and as a consort, it would be a shame not to celebrate it, as that would make people think that Emperor Kangxi did not value her.
Once the reasons were all prepared, she agreed.
All she had to do was nod; the rest, Consort Tong and the others would take care of.
"Changchun Garden is large, but there aren't many things to do. Sister Tong said that besides the music hall, they can also invite an outside opera troupe to perform, and in the evening we can watch the fireworks newly made by the Imperial Household Department..."
[Author's Note]
[Cat's paw]
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